Pico Play brings authentic rockwork and waterfalls to Mandai Bird Paradise

Versions of this article appears at Blooloop.

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Pico Play, a global leader in the planning, design, development and construction of world-class themed attractions and entertainment, recently completed a project for Mandai Bird Paradise, Asia’s largest bird park. Located in Singapore, the attraction is home to 3,500 birds from over 400 species and features eight walkthrough aviaries representing different biomes from across the globe.

The firm was asked to create two artificial waterfalls in the entrance section of the park with a 100-metre-long stream to feed the waterfall. Meanwhile, inside the park, Pico Play was also responsible for the rockwork façade of the penguin exhibit, as well as the underwater sculptures and beach of the penguin aquarium. These eight-metre-high structures were completed inside an acrylic tank with challenging access to a tight schedule.  

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Landmark project calls for innovative new solutions

The Pico Play team prefabricated panels for the outdoor rockwork at its Malaysia plant according to the approved 3D design and shipped them to Singapore for quick and efficient installation. For the penguin exhibit’s artificial rockwork sculptures, the company came up with an innovative engineering solution to resist high water pressure in the eight-metre-deep tanks. It used a combination of polystyrene foam to act as formwork for the RC structure, also acting as a formwork for the outer shell of the rockwork and preventing any internal water collecting.

The result was a unique attraction for the new bird park with high-quality artistic finishes. The engineering solution for the penguin exhibit also allowed Pico Play to complete the structural works significantly faster than traditional RC methodology.    

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“The Mandai Birdpark project was a very interesting and challenging project,” says Jack Sellick, project manager at Pico Play. “It’s not every day you get to work on such a landmark project that brings enjoyment to millions of visitors and provides a new home for animals to enjoy.

“Creating the natural landscape and features was difficult because everything needed to look and feel authentic. As a team, we faced many challenges, especially those brought on by the pandemic which put a strain on many resources and logistics. Through a collective effort, we were able to deliver the intricate detail and natural finishes required to meet the high standards of Pico Play, the Mandai Park Development team and avian experts.

“After two years of hard work, it was very exciting and satisfying to see the park come together into something very impressive, the highlight for me being the waterfalls and penguin exhibit, which both took a lot of time and effort to design and construct. It has also been incredibly rewarding to see the Birdpark advertised all around Singapore and hear such positive feedback from friends and colleagues.”

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“It’s certainly a project I’ll never forget, and I look forward to visiting in the future with my family and friends.”

Last month, Pico Play announced that it has entered into a brand-new joint venture partnership with K11 Group. This will deliver a thrilling dose of action and adventure to 11 SKIES, Hong Kong’s largest retailtainment landmark, located next to Hong Kong International Airport.

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